Savior, and has always been understood to be the entry of a believer
into the Christian Life in the Holy Church: Á-°Go ye therefore, and
teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the
Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things
whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway,
even unto the end of the world. Amen
Baptism is not only the entry for the believer into the church; it also
washes him clean of all sins prior to his holy baptism, no matter how
grievous and frequent they were. Here he must remember the
admonition the Lord gave to the paralytic, whom He healed of not
only his physical infirmity, but of his sins also: Á-°Behold, thou art
made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto theeÁ-?
Our Lord said: Á-°Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born
of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.Á-?
newly-baptized believer. Christians are Á-°temples of the Holy SpiritÁ-?,
and this sacrament bestows the Holy Spirit upon them. The Christian
must always remember St. PaulÁ-?s admonition: Á-°know ye not that your
body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have
of God, and ye are not your own?Á-?
and he is illumined with the grace and power of the Holy Spirit to
enable him to embark upon the life in Christ within the ark of the
Holy Church. This is also the case for infants, who are also
empowered to live a Christian life. The grace of baptism, especially